Method for executing a process defined by a script by a plurality of types of description languages and an apparatus therefor

Abstract

When a user specifies an object stored in a memory of an apparatus and instructs an operation to be performed on that object, the apparatus determines the type of script description language describing the script held by the specified object and interprets the script using an interpretation unit corresponding to the determined script type, selected from among a plurality of interpretation units in the apparatus each corresponding to a respective type of script description language. The apparatus then executes a process corresponding to the interpreted script. In one version, the apparatus can request another apparatus to interpret the script and receive the interpreted script from the other apparatus, if none of the interpretation units in the first apparatus corresponds to the determined script type.

Claims

1. An apparatus for executing a process defined by a script, comprising:

memory means for storing an object;

instruction means for specifying the object stored in said memory means and instructing an operation to be performed the object,

determination means for determining a type of script description language describing the script held by the object specified by said instruction means;

a plurality of interpretation means for interpreting scripts described in a plurality of script description languages;

execution means for executing a process corresponding to the script interpreted by one of said interpretation means; and

control means for controlling said interpretation means to interpret the script held by the specified object by the interpretation means corresponding to the script type determined by said determination means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said memory means stores type identification information of the script description languages describing the script for each object, and said determination means reads out the identification information from said memory means to determine the type of the script description language.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

script generation means for generating a script for the object stored in said memory means; and

memory control means for causing said memory means to store the type of script description language describing the script generated by said script generation means.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means includes a management table defining a relation between the type of script description language and the interpretation means for interpreting the script description language.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said interpretation means outputs a script described in an intermediate language common to the interpretation means as an interpretation result of the script.

6. An apparatus for executing a process defined by a script, comprising:

memory means for storing an object;

instruction means for specifying the object stored in said memory means and instructing an operation to performed on the object;

determination means for determining a type of script description language describing the script held by the object specified by said instruction means;

a plurality of interpretation means for interpreting scripts described in a plurality of script description languages;

execution means for executing a process corresponding to the script interpreted by one of said interpretation means;

communication means for communicating with another apparatus;

discrimination means for determining whether the type of script determined by said determination means can be interpreted by one of said interpretation means;

first control means for requesting to the other apparatus through said communication means the interpretation of the script when said discrimination means determines that the script cannot be interpreted; and

second control means for receiving from the other apparatus through said communication means the script interpreted by the other apparatus in response to the request and controlling said execution means to execute the process corresponding to the received interpreted script.

7. A method for executing a process defined by a script comprising the steps of:

specifying an object stored in a memory;

instructing an operation to be performed on the specified object;

determining a type of script description language describing the script held by the specified object;

interpreting the script held by the specified object using an interpretation unit for the determined script type from among a plurality of interpretation units for interpreting scripts described in a plurality of script description languages; and

executing a process corresponding to the interpreted script.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said memory stores type identification information of the script description languages describing the script for each object, and said determination step reads out the identification information from said memory to determine the type of script description language.

9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

generating a script for the object stored in the memory; and

storing the type of script description language describing the generated script in the memory.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein said interpretation step includes determining the interpretation unit corresponding to the determined script type, from among the plurality of interpretation units, by referring to a management table defining a relation between the type of script description language and the interpretation unit for interpreting the script description language.

11. A method according to claim 7, wherein said interpretation step includes outputting a script described in an intermediate language common to the plurality of interpretation units as an interpretation result of the script.

12. A method for controlling an apparatus for executing a process defined by a script, comprising the steps of:

specifying an object in a memory;

instructing an operation to be performed on the specified object;

determining a type of script description language describing the script held by the specified object;

determining whether the type of the determined script can be interpreted by the apparatus;

when determined in said determination step that the script cannot be interpreted, requesting interpretation of the script by the other apparatus through a communication unit;

receiving from the apparatus through the communication unit the script interpreted by the other apparatus in response to the request; and

executing a process corresponding to the received interpreted script.